Yes, that is my understanding as well. Their humanity faded, and eventually they lost their human bodies. I think of it sort of like Michael J Fox slowly disappearing in Back to the Future. They also were fully invisible, which is why they looked like empty robes and suits of armor. The only way to see them is to put on a similar ring that allows you to see into the world of the dead, as Peter Jackson portrayed in his films when Frodo put on the One Ring and could finally see their faces.
A lot of that info is found in the last part of The Silmarillion; “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age”.
Most shows are written by people with no expertise in any technology that happens to appear in those shoes. Because realistic depiction of those technologies is not the point of most shows.
I would guess that the majority of viewers are closer to me—I read the books, well, the ones that Tolkien himself wrote and published during his lifetime. But I don’t care too much if the shows don’t adhere to all the background details. And I certainly don’t care if they adhere to real life technological details like the mechanics of sailing ships. I certainly don’t care that very big chunks of things I do have basic general knowledge about—like physics, geology, biology, astronomy, etc.—are going to be very obviously contradicted.
So do we think the Men who got the rings turned all Gollum-y before they became ringwraiths? Or was Smeagol/Bilbo a special case because of the One Ring?
AFAIK Smeagol/Gollum never wore the One Ring. He just kept it. As a result it’s effect on him was less overt.
Also, IIRC Smeagol was sort of a proto-Hobbit and we know that Hobbits are naturally resistant to the ring’s power. Not immune but resistant (Bilbo and Frodo in particular).
Note that only humans were shown to turn into wraiths from the rings. It may have been a trait specific to them.
The dwarves just became greedy to a degree that it made them reckless and the dwarven bearers died, and their rings were lost.
The elves are a special case. It’s hard to say if they resisted corruption because they were elves, or because they made the rings on their own without Sauron’s direct involvement. Maybe a combination of the two.
Could an elf have carried the One Ring to Mount Doom? I have a feeling that they couldn’t for some reason, or Gandalf would probably have tried that.
Galadriel is one of the oldest and most powerful elves left in Middle-Earth at that point, and she makes it pretty clear what’d happen if the Ring fell into her possession.
IIRC Sauron was unaware of the Elven rings and, when the One Ring was made, the Elves immediately realized what was up and took off their rings.
They only wore them again when Sauron was defeated at the end of the Second Age (I think…pretty sure Gandalf was wearing one in the Third Age and I think Galadriel was wearing one as well…not sure about the third…Elrond?).
Indeed, I think Galadriel used her ring to maintain Lothlorien and when the One Ring was destroyed that stopped working which signaled the end of the Elves in Middle Earth so they left and moved to Valinor.
Latest rumour is that Amazon is unhappy with the how the first series has played out and been received. Apparently they are sidelining the show runners and some other execs involved.
It’ll be interesting to see if that comes to pass and whether they can bring back the disillusioned for season 2.
Personally it’d have to be a massive change to bring me back, almost to the point of pretending S1 never happened. I suppose they do have plenty of time to do that if they want to.
Is there a source for that? Sounds a little like the “Disney is firing Kathleen Kennedy and remaking Episode VIII” stuff that was circulating around the neckbeard internet in 2018. The show has produced huge ratings for Amazon, and studios don’t just abruptly shift course on a profitable franchise.
Not to mention they have a huge investment in this. While they may ditch a director or something I cannot imagine them being able to change course much at this point.
And, frankly, for all the bitching and griping and complaints of being too woke it is not bad. Production values are excellent. The cast is mostly good. The story has been enjoyable and I watched all episodes.
I have my complaints, as many will, but it’s ok and I look forward to the next season.
Well opinions seem to vary greatly on this, it does look pretty good in places but nothing much else is particulalry notable or well done in my opinion. I think it is pretty poor overall and it seems like more people also hold that opinion than Amazon would have hoped for.
Also “it’s ok” is hardly what Amazon were wanting for a billion-dollar show. Do they throw good money after bad by carrying on exactly as before? That’s the calculation to be made and a change of course would definitely be possible if the dollars suggest it is worth it.
There was a whole army of people committed to hating it for being woke long before the first episode aired. Those people were never likely to change their minds.
And my “ok” is because I have read the books and am a big Tolkien nerd. Amazon went for mass appeal and not super-nerd appeal because there are a LOT more of the masses who are not Tolkien nerds.